What's next for Red Sox prospect Jeremy Wu-Yelland?
From the University of Hawaii to Salem, Virginia. That’s the path that Jeremy Wu-Yelland had to take after the Red Sox used their fourth-round pick in 2020 on him. After only getting to pitch 13 innings for Hawaii in 2020 due to the COVID shortened season, Wu-Yelland had to wait until he arrived in Salem to get his Red Sox minor league career started.
After pitching mostly out of the bullpen in his college career, Wu-Yelland started all 20 games he appeared in during his time in Salem. His starting performances earned him a quick promotion to Greenville that same season where he made three more starts to finish out the season. The unfortunate news came the next season in 2022, when it was announced Wu-Yelland would have Tommy John Surgery in April and miss the entire season.
What’s next for Wu-Yelland?
After a year off from Tommy John, Wu-Yelland is still only 23 years old. The lefty was hitting 98 MPH before his injury, so it is something to look out for once he returns to the field. Will the fastball have that same zip after the injury? Will his slider have the same spin rate it did after the injury?
Once ready to go, we should see the former Hawaii baseball product have a chance at getting back into the Greenville starting rotation. His future may not be as a starter though, as Soxprospects has his ceiling as a late inning reliever:
Potential middle reliever. Ceiling of a late-inning reliever. Fastball/slider combination could make him a very effective reliever, especially if stuff plays up in short bursts, but success will likely be determined by how his command and control develop. Has shown ability to miss bats with both of his primary pitches, but walk rate must come down. Fits the profile of a typical Red Sox target with arm strength and high spin rates on his breaking ball. Will be given the chance to start, but will need to show significant development with third pitch as well as command/control in order to have a chance to remain in that role. Bullpen remains an intriguing fallback option given how his velocity may play up in short outings.
The bullpen wouldn’t be the worst place for Wu-Yelland to end up, as he has plenty of experience closing games for Hawaii in dominant fashion.
Follow Andrew on Twitter @ByAndrewParker
For additional Red Sox and Major League Baseball content, follow Beyond the Monster: Boston Red Sox on Twitter @BeyondtheMnstr